Get a pair of 6x30 leupold yosemite and loan them to your dad. They won't play second fiddle to much that's under $300 or more.
Boots: I've played the heavy norwegian welt game and the lightweight scarpa charmoz and la sportiva evo game - elk to me means wet or snow, so leather all the way. Don't get oversold on a rubber rand - they are good at separating from leather and getting slit by rocks. Roughout leather treated with pure beeswax won't get cut by rock. If you anticipate any quantity of snow, get gaiters. This year I used the midweight Alicos with hairdryer-applied beeswax and they worked well.
Don't go out of your way to make your rifle and kit heavy. So far with your scope choice you've probably given up half a pound to a leupold 4x. Same with the straight spotter - if you had angled you could get away with a shorter, lighter tripod.
I could buy whatever I want for a pack. I went on this year's elk hunt with a ~20 year old Dana Designs "Alpine", purchased on craigslist for $50. You can buy lighter, but few will carry weight as well as this 6.5lb Dana. If you want a true "daypack", then there are lower capacity options with good suspensions for packing meat, but $$$$.
Great post. I still use my Dana Arcflex Alpine! Great pack.
